Audi says it is now backtracking on what was an ambitious launch of upcoming EVs in reaction to what its new CEO calls a “slowdown” of EVs and to “avoid overloading” at factories and dealerships.
“We first looked at the order and density of releases that the organization could manage,” CEO Gernot Döllner told Bloomberg. “In the end, we need to distribute them so we don’t overload the team and the concessions. “
Volkswagen-owned Audi had planned 20 new models through 2026, 10 of which would be electric cars. Now, they will focus on new plug-in hybrid and internal combustion models, with some electric models, but the timeline will be uncertain as to Of course, Audi wants to launch new cars quickly, as its range is “increasingly obsolete”, while rivals Mercedes and BMW prepare their next-generation electric cars in the coming years, Bloomberg writes.
Audi is waiting for the final touch on the PPE platform, a complex new EV chassis that was delayed due to software issues with VW’s in-house software unit, Cariad. The upcoming Q6 e-tron was intended to launch a handful of EVs from the brand. , however, has been postponed, although it is expected to cease production next year, according to the report.
The past few months have been tricky for Audi, with Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume saying in June that the logo had not reached its potential. Döllner took the helm the same month after working with Blume at Porsche in hopes of developing its operating power from nine to thirteen percent, Bloomberg writes. At the same time, VW Group announced a new cost-cutting program aimed at saving 10 billion euros ($10. 8 billion) through 2026, including mass layoffs. back at the sales target of 6. 5%, up from 3. 6% last year.
Audi has long delayed the transition to electric cars, in part because of its wide diversity of diesel engines, and of course, VW’s diesel emissions scandal and persistent software issues have not allowed it to succeed. Still, it doesn’t motivate much confidence when Döllner posts that the “slowdown” of EVs is smart for the brand, as long as it can focus on what drives its bottom line: ICE vehicles. It’s not that they’re ruling out electric vehicles, of course, but they need to take it. Regulatory adjustments as governments phase out combustion cars add to the pressure, as does the entry of electric cars into China, and Audi has been unable to compete with Tesla and now BYD.
Jennifer is a writer and editor for Electrek. Based in France, she has worked previously at Wired, Fast Company, and Agence France-Presse. Send comments, suggestions, or tips her way via X (@JMossalgue) or at [email protected].